


The Ginger Lion

by the13thCaretaker



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, Nightmares, maybe fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 02:06:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4461161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the13thCaretaker/pseuds/the13thCaretaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a long day for the Doctor and Donna Noble. After the events on Midnight, they are both tired. But rest doesn't come easy for the resident Time Lord.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ginger Lion

The Doctor was down right miserable. His head throbbed, his throat was dry and memories the creature that had temporarily had control of him (and probably still would, if not for the Hostess' heroic actions) still haunted his mind.

The walk back to the TARDIS with Donna was relatively silent. He ask her any questions about if her spa was nice and because she didn't ask, the Doctor didn't answer any questions she had about the Entity of Midnight. For that he was grateful, he didn't feel like reliving that any time soon.

As soon as they got inside the TARDIS, the Doctor immediately went to the kitchen and made them two mugs of tea. Donna took hers with a thank you and the Doctor grunted lightly in response, nodding his head.

After a minute of silence and tea sipping, the Doctor piped up, unable to not do anything for much longer. "How about we finish watching Harry Potter?" he suggested. 

"That sounds good," Donna nodded, "I'll make popcorn."

So as the Doctor went and put in the dvd, or whatever he used to play films, Donna made a bag of pop corn. When it had finished popping she put it into two bowls and brought them and her tea to the other room.

"Ready?" asked the Doctor as they sat down on the couch.

"Ready ready," said Donna, handing him his bowl of pop corn as he pressed play.

Wands waved and spells flashed along the television screen, but Donna's eyes began to feel heavy. She laid her head on the Doctor's shoulder, relaxing. True she hadn't been through what he had today, but as soon as the diamond palace or whatever had recieved the distress call from his shuttle she had been stressed and uptight with worry. She was concerned for him now, but she couldn't help her eyes closing as she dozed off.

The Doctor glanced down at Donna and smiled slightly at her as she slept. Using his foot, he reached out to thebchair next to the sofa and retrieved a blanket draped over its arm. With his free hand, he spread it out and put it over Donna. 

Laying his head back, the Doctor discovered that he too felt slightly tired as the day's events settled upon him. Still... he didn't need sleep, superior... time lord biology... and all that...

Nonetheless the Doctor's eyes slipped shut and his head lolled back as he fell asleep. 

 

Moments later, Donna blinked her eyes open. The telly was still on, judging by the little green light flashing. The TARDIS must have dimmed the lights. Donna lifted her head, discovering the blanket and surprisingly, that the Doctor was still there. Even more surprisingly, he was sound asleep.

At least he looked that way, until she took a closer looked. The Doctor's eyebrows were furrowed and he moved his head to the side, making a noise between a moan and a whimper. Donna frowned, sitting up all the way.

"Doctor? Hey?" she said in a quiet, but slightly urgent voice.

He didn't respond to her save for making another small noise and shrinking farther into the sofa. He still had his trench coat on; from him moving and the shoulders and front moving around, he looked almost like a lost little boy in his dad's coat. It dawned on Donna that the Doctor, such a wonderful man, but also a powerful and occasionally frightening one, could have such a problem as bad dreams.

"Doctor," Donna said again, more urgently as he tossed his head. She reached forward and shook his arm to eake him.

In a flash, the Doctor blindly surgered forward, rising to his feet and nearly tripping over the coffee table. Leftover popcorn and corn kernals bounced up and spilled over as his long legs bumped into it. 

"Oi Spaceman! Calm down you'll hurt yourself!" yelped Donna, quickly standing up to steady him.

"What- Adric- R-rose- I couldn't, there wasn't- I'm sorry-" the Doctor stuttered. He looking around the room with his eyes wildly until his eyes settled on Donna.

"Doctor, calm down, you had a nightmare, " Donna said slowly, "It was just a bad dream."

The Doctor looked at her, breathing heavily. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it, before repeating the action. Before he had a chance to say anything Donna had moved forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. The Doctor hugged back immediately and held onto her tightly, hiding his face over her shoulder. Humans gave the best hugs. Especially Donna.

"Its okay Spaceman, " Donna said reassuringly, rubbing his back. The Doctor nodded slightly in return.

"Now, have you even got a bedroom for yourself here?" she asked him, pulling back.

"Why?" asked the Doctor with a frown.

"Not for the funny reason you're thinking of dumbo," Donna responded, whacking his arm. "So you can sleep."

"I just did," said the Doctor. 

"Doctor. That was barely twenty minutes. You need propet sleep even if you're a high and mighty Time Lord," she said in a tone meaning she meant business. 

"I don't want to-" the Doctor started, but Donna was already pulling him out into the corridor by his hand.

"Now, I'm sure the TARDIS will be kind enough to direct me to the captain's sleeping quarters," Donna said. Sure enough, a door a ways down the hall opened. Donna led the Doctor to the room, ignoring his protests.

"Shut up Time Boy, time for bed," ordered Donna. The Doctor immediately sat down on the edge of the bed, knowing better than to contradict her.

"Shoes, off," she said, throwing him a pair of blue striped pajamas. He caught them and looked at her.

"What? You can't sleep in that bloody suit, it needs to be washed probably anyways," Donna said.

"Actually the synthe-" 

"Tell me another time," said Donna, pointing to the bathroom for him to go change.

 

After the Doctor changed into the soft, cool pajamas he opened the door and stepped back into the bedroom. The comforter and sheets did look comfortable. He may have been telling himself he wasn't sleepy, but thanks to Donna he was already laying down in no time flat. Before he could say anything she threw the blanket over him and lay down on top of the covers next to him.

"Now you're going to fall asleep, and I'm going to be right here next to you. You spend so much time protecting others, its time someone protected you. Ah-ah," Donna tutted, cutting him off when he opened his mouth to speak, "I'm going tk be right here and I'm not going to let the nightmares get to you."

And Donna did just that. She sat up against the headboard of the bed and picked up a book: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Opening up to the first page, Donna began to read outloud.

The Doctor listened to her voice, which had somehow gone from rough to soft. Staring at the wall ahead tiredly and only paying half attention, he was soon lulled to sleep by the sound of Donna's voice and the TARDIS' soothing humming. Pains and fears from Midnight were banished, past nightmares and terrors were warded off by a Lion with a ginger mane that night and the Doctor slept in a peaceful slumber.

THE END


End file.
